Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 5 -> Episode 5.06

Voyage Of The Damned

Rox manages to convince Frasier to be a 'celebrity guest' on a cruise ship to Alaska, despite his initial hesitiation, so when Niles becomes depressed that he and Maris have separated again and will not be spending their anniversary together, Frasier has the idea that the whole Crane family should go on the cruise together. Unbeknownst to Niles, both Martin and Frasier also invite Maris to join them on the cruise in an attempt to get them back toegther. On board the cruise, Frasier discovers that his cabin is not the spacious room he imagined it would be, but is even more incensed when he discovers who the other 'celbrities' are who are also on board to entertain the guests - essentially a collection of unknowns and has-beens, including the Latin singing sensation, Carlos "the Barracuda". Also on the boat is the libidinous Mimi who makes a pass at Niles, all of which is seen by a horrified Maris. Frasier, Martin and Roz try to patch things up between the feuding couple by going to Maris' cabin to talk to her, but when they discover see is not there, they sneak into the cabin to admire its spaciousness. But when Maris suddenly arrives, the intruders hide in the shower, and watch Maris prepare for a date with "The Barracuda". Then Niles arrives and discovers his family hiding in the shower...

- Roz is trying to convince Frasier to do the talk on the cruise by telling him who else has done one:
Roz: Gore Vidal did two of them!
Frasier: Gore Vidal?! He hates everything!

- Daphne is telling Frasier about the way in which her mother used to tell her to enjoy things while she can:
Daphne: "Eat your greens - there'll be no brussel sprouts in hell! Have a lie down - there'll be no naps in hell!"

- Daphne tells Frasier not to be too hard on a wet Eddie shaking himself on Frasier's wooden floors:
Daphne: As me mum used to say: "There'll be no dogs in hell"
Frasier: I sincerely doubt that!!

- Martin can't wait to get started on the cruise buffet:
Martin: You guys coming?
Niles: Dad, we ate at home.
Martin: Rookie mistake - see you at dinner!

- Frasier is appalled at the quality of the other cruise "celebrities":
Roz: It's not so bad - at least you got top billing.
Frasier: Of course I got top billing - I'm the only one up there I've ever heard of!

- Roz wants to know why Maris is wearing black on a cruise:
Frasier: Roz, the woman has virtually no pigmentation. Three minutes in the sun and she'd sear like an ahi tuna!!

- Niles wonders if Maris will take revenge on him for flirting with Mimi by going a stage further with "The Barracuda":
Roz: Wow, do you think Maris is planning to "do" the Barracuda ?!

- Martin is about to head off for another meal:
Frasier: My lecture's in 15 minutes.
Martin: Oh well, I guess I can't do everything - tell me how it went at the midnight buffet!

- Frasier, Martin and Roz are trapped in the bathroom of Maris' cabin, so Roz tries to see her through the keyhole:
Roz: I see her coat on a hat rack.
[Martin and Frasier exchange knowing glances]
Frasier: Look closer. Is the hat rack moving?

This is an episode that gets a bad rap in some quarters, but for me, I think it's a bit of an underrated gem of an episode that never fails to make me laugh whenever I watch it. There are loads of things about this episode that I love: Daphne's bit near the beginning where she tells Frasier about her mother's answer for everything, the running joke about the spartan condition of Frasier's cabin on board the ship which culmintaes brilliantly when he sees the interior of Maris' cabin which has a balcony and a grand piano! Martin's obsession with food on board the cruise is hilarious - his description of having eaten caribou from the Alaskan buffet was brilliant, as was the running joke which sees waiter's throwing champagne into Niles' face courtesy of large tips from Maris. The episode culminates superbly as Roz, Martin and Frasier find themselves trapped in Maris' cabin bathroom, which garners us a brief glimpse of Maris through the shower curtain - a wonderfully unexpected treat - and rounds off a superbly funny episode from this excellent season.

Rating

90 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 90.7%
Total Number of Reviews: 9